While thousands of dollars are spent yearly by the federal government and
the states for the protection of our forests and birds, how many realize
that in conserving our wonderful dune region we are serving a double purpose?
We are not only protecting the fast disappearing quail, ruffed grouse,
wood duck and other birds but perpetuating for all time to come a haven
of rest where the brain fagged business man and the nerve racked teacher
can find complete relaxation in the solitude of the dunes. Here we find
places that it is hard to realize are within 40 miles of Chicago instead
of in the mountainous regions of the west.

Here are miniature mountains covered with the heavy growth of jack pine,
juniper and the dogwood. Here also is the cactus at home. Looking eastward
from the top of the higher sand hills is a smooth stretch of beach without
buildings or piers to destroy the harmony of nature.

In proper season the profusion of flowers and birds is startling; great
masses of blossoms of the sand cherry, choke cherry lupin are abundant.
Here too are occasional surprises of the dainty harebell, the fast disappearing
varieties of the ladyslipper, both varieties of the blue gentian, the rich
orange blossom of the cactus blooming in their beauty and wild environment,
fulfilling their destiny in their own way, for the enjoyment of the city
worn wanderer who chooses to come, rest and feast--to return to his smoke
enshrouded cliff dwellings a better and healthier man.

The shore at times is alive with gulls and terns feeding upon the dead
fish and insects which are cast up by the waves. The dainty white-bellied
swallow nests in the hollow stump or the hillsides, the sandbanks are alive
with the bank swallow, kingbirds are found nesting in the cottonwoods;
in fact, nearly all of our common resident birds may be found in this charming
region.

The higher sand hills form a wind harbor for the migrating birds and
during the fall migration many of the rare shore birds alight on the beach
to rest, for they will have a long flight before they will reach another
large body of water on their southward flight.

The method which I find the best in observing the shore birds is to
find a small bay where there is a plentiful supply of insects on the shore
and put out a few plover decoys. These can be made from cardboard cut the
shape of a plover, the backs spotted or mottled gray and white, and small
sticks placed in proper position to represent legs and to support the decoys
on the sand. By lying quietly about 50 feet from the decoys you will not
disturb the birds as they alight and roam over the beach. It may require
many trips to find a satisfactory number of birds but each years I see
between August 1 and September 15 a few of the following birds. The sanderling,
black-bellier plover, turnstone, hundreds of Wilson tern the the foresters
tern. Always a few of the Caspian tern can be seen in the fall flying close
to the shore and sitting upon the posts of the fish nets. In April and
May can also be found immense flocks of Bonapartes gull and a few black
tern.

If the proper protection is afforded our birds as outlined by the biological
survey there is no reason why our shore birds should not eventually become
as plentiful as they were 15 or 20 years ago. I base this statement upon
observation taken during two trips to North Dakota in succeeding years
when I found such birds as our Wilson phalarope and pintail duck had increased
in one year from one brood to five, thanks to a wise spring shooting law.

For studying the early spring migrants an excellent locality is the
east end of the Grand Calumet river at Miller, Indiana. Walk north from
the station at Miller to the bridge, then east to the end of the river
which is about one mile distant. Here you will find the flowers and birds
in greater numbers than in any other locality in this region. In nearly
every trip the bird student has one or more pleasant surprises in the way
of some rare vision. My last one was a fine osprey on the river and a flock
of wood duck. A friend of mine shot a fine specimen of parasitic jaeger,
a resident of the Pacific coast. The Burgomaster gull, Hudsonian godwit,
Hudsonian curlew, double crested cormor and white pelican, rosate tern,
northern philarope have all been taken on the beach at Miller. A few pictures
are shown of the localities mentioned which poorly represent the real beauties
of this wonderful region.